Safety bottle cap



United States Patent 3,501,041 SAFETY BOTTLE CAP Edward E. Schaefer, 1134 Oak Knoll Drive, Lake Forest, Ill. 60045 Filed Apr. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 725,107 Int. Cl. A611 1/00; B65d 55/02 US. Cl. 215-9 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safety bottle cap for preventing unauthorized opening or access to the contents of a bottle. An inner cap member is enclosed by a sleeve member, and connecting means carried by the members provides for relative rotational and axial movement therebetween. Engagement of a separable locking means with the cap and sleeve members locks the members against relative rotational movement and thus permits threaded engagement or disengagement of the cap from the bottle. Disengagement of the locking means from the cap and sleeve members frees the members for relative rotational movement and thus prevents removal of the cap by rotation of the sleeve member. The length of the sleeve member and the arrangement of the connecting means is such that the latter conceals different length threads on different bottles when the cap is engaged therewith.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to safety bottle caps, and more V particularly relates to a safety bottle cap for preventing unauthorized opening or access to the contents of a bottle on which the cap is mounted.

Description of the prior art Safety bottle caps have been heretofore advanced for preventing unauthorized opening or access to the contents of a bottle. Examples of safety bottle caps of this general type are disclosed in the Hanahan No. 2,359,639 and Reading No. 3,164,277 patents. However, the safety bottle caps or closures disclosed in these patents are primarily intended for use with bottles having a particular number of threads on the neck thereof, usually corresponding in number with those provided on the cap. In addition, safety caps or closures of the types exemplified in the aforementioned patents are of insuflicient length to cover the usual head around the neck of the bottle, which is disposed below the lowermost thread. Consequently, an unsightly and potentially unsanitary condition may develop on the threads and necks of bottles utilizing safety caps of this type.

Safety bottle caps have also been heretofore developed, which utilize a separate key or locking member for interlocking an inner cap member and an outer cap member in order to permit threaded disengagement of the cap from an associated bottle after the cap has been threaded onto the bottle. An example of a safety bottle cap of the latter type is disclosed in the Dorsey Patent No. 2,921,705. However, the safety closure disclosed in this patent requires careful positioning of the key with respect to the other parts of the cap and a constant effort on the part of a user to maintain the key engaged with the other parts of the cap in order to effect disengagementof the cap from the bottle. I n

More recently, safety bottle caps or closures have been developed, which utilize an integral key member for interlocking an inner cap member and an outer cap memtation of the outer cap member m an appropriate direction. An example of one such cap is disclosed in the Velt Patent No. 3,338,444. However, the integral key arrangement disclosed in the Velt patent may be readily manipulated into a position effecting an interlock between the inner and outer cap members and consequent unthreading of the top from the bottle by an unauthorized person. Moreover, the bottle top disclosed in this patent can only be used with bottles having a specially-shaped neck having a certain number of threads thereon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described, the present invention contemplates a novel safety bottle cap for preventing unauthorized opening or access to the contents of a bottle on which the cap is mounted. Such cap, to be hereinafter de'- scribed in detail, generally comprises an inner cap member having an end wall and an annular side wall adapted to be threaded onto the neck of an associated bottle. A sleeve member surrounds the cap member, and connecting means carried by the inner cap member and the enclosing sleeve member permits relative rotational and axial movement between the members.

Locking means in the form of a key engageable with the cap and sleeve members, is provided for interconnecting the members to permit the cap to be threaded onto or off of the top of a bottle by rotation of the sleeve member in an appropriate direction.

The provision for relative axial movement between the cap and sleeve members, as well as the length of the sleeve member with respect to the cap member, permits the cap to be used with a wide variety of bottles having different numbers of threads on the necks thereof without exposing the lower threads and bead on the bottle neck when the cap is fully threaded onto the neck.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the invention to provide a novel and improved safety bottle cap which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages of devices of this type.

Another object is to provide a novel safety bottle cap which is usable with a wide variety of bottles having different neck configurations and numbers of threads.

Still another object is to provide a novel safety bottle cap which is attractive in appearance and which conceals the threads and bead on the neck of a bottle on which the cap is mounted. p

A further object is to provide a novel safety bottle cap having improved sanitation characteristics.

A still further object is to provide a novel safety bottle cap of the character described, which is simple in construction, reliable in operation, and economical to manufacture. I n

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying sheet of drawings, in which; i

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a safety bottle cap embodying the features of the present invention and showing the cap as it would appear when, mounted on the neck of a bottle. An associated keyfor effecting engagement or disengagement of the cap from the bottle, is also shown in spaced relation from the cap;

FIG. 2, is a somewhat enlarged, vertical sectional view, with some parts in elevation, showing the parts of the safety bottle cap illustrated in FIG. 1 as they appear when the cap is mounted on the neck of the bottle with the key engaged with the cap;

FIG. 3, is a top -planview of the safety bottle cap illustrated in FIG. 2; Y

FIG. 4, is a fragmentary, side elevational view, with some parts in section, of one-half of thesafety bottle cap .llustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and showing the postitions )f the parts of the cap as they would appear when the :ap is mounted on a bottle having a greater number of threads than the bottle illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5, is a fragmentary side elevation view, similar to FIG. 4, and showing the parts of the cap as they would appear when mounted on the neck of a bottle having a larger diameter bead than the bead on the bottle shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6, is a somewhat enlarged, vertical sectional view, with some parts in elevation, of another safety bottle cap embodying the features of the present invention; and

FIG, 7, is a fragmentary top plan view of the safety bottle cap illustrated in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a safety bottle cap embodying the features of the present invention, is illustrated. The cap 10 is shown mounted on and closing the upper end or mouth, indicated at 12, of a bottle having a neck 13. At least one thread 14 is provided on the neck 13 adjacent the end 12, and an annular, radially outwardly extending bead 15 is provided below the thread 14. It will be understood that the cap 10 is usable with a wide variety of bottles of different shapes and made from different materials.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the safety bottle cap 10 comprises an inner cap member 16 having an end wall 17 and an annular, threaded side wall 18. A seal member in the form of a disk 21 is shown mounted on the under or inner side of the end wall 17, for engaging and sealing the open end 12 or mouth, of the bottle. The side wall 18 includes at least a portion of and preferably at least three quarters of one thread 23 and the lower end edge of the side wall includes an annular radially outwardly extending portion in the form of a bead 26, the purpose of which will be explained more fully hereinafter.

A tubular or sleeve member having an axial length substantially greater than that of the side wall 18 of the cap member 16 and an inside diameter at least equal to and preferably somewhat greater than the diameter of the bead 15 on the bottle neck 13, encloses the cap member 16. The outer peripheral surface, indicated at 32, of the sleeve member 30 may be roughened or otherwise rendered easier to grasp, by providing a plurality of shallow, axially spaced, circumferential grooves 33 therein.

Connecting means including means defining a pair of axially spaced, radially extending shoulders on one of the members and an oppositely radially extending rib on the other of the members, is provided for interconnecting the cap member 16 and sleeve member 30. Preferably, the shoulders are provided on the cap member 16 and the rib, indicated at 42, is provided on the sleeve member 30.

As best seen in FIG. 2, one of the axially spaced shoulders on the cap member 16 is provided by the bead 26- at the lower end thereof, and the other shoulder is defined by a portion 34 of the undersurface of a disk 36 secured to the upper surface of the end wall 17 of the cap member 16. The disk 36 is preferably of metal and secured to the end wall 17 by spot welding, indicated at 37 in FIGS. 3 and 4, although other fastening techniques could be employed to effect such securement.

The rib 42 on the sleeve member 30 preferably comprises an integral, annular, internal flange or shoulder on the sleeve member 30 and extending inwardly from the inner surface, indicated at 43, of the sleeve member 30. The rib 42 has an axial width substantially less than the space between the shoulders 26 and 34 on the cap member 16.

With the foregoing construction, it will be apparent that when the cap 10 is fully threaded onto the neck 13 of the bottle with the sealing disk 21 abutting and closing the mouth of the bottle, any attempt to open or gain access to the contents of the bottle by rotating the sleeve v of the bottle with the cap member 16 fully threaded member 30 in a counterclockwise direction to unscrew the cap member 16 will be ineffective since the sleeve member 30 is freely rotatable on the cap member 16. In addition, when the rib 42 of the sleeve member 30 is resting on the bead 26 of the cap member 16, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the thread 14 and bead 15 are concealed by the lower or skirt portion, indicated at 34, of the sleeve member 30. Thus, an attractive appearance is presented and, because the thread 14 and bead 15 are concealed by the sleeve member 30, a distinct sanitation advantage is realized in that any portion of the contents of. the bottle which may have dripped onto and remained on the thread 14 and bead 15 is shielded against airborne foreign particles, insects and the like, by the lower or skirt portion 44 of the sleeve member 30. Thus, there is less chance for such accumulated material becoming contaminated.

Assuming that the cap member 16 is fully threaded onto the upper end 12 of the bottle in sealing relation with the mouth thereof, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, and it is desired to remove the cap 10 in order to open, gain access to, or dispense some of the contents from the bottle, locking means engageable with the cap and sleeve members is provided to permit such removal.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, such locking means preferably comprises a key 50 in the form of an elongated, horizontally arranged bar or plate like member 52 having a pair of laterally spaced ends 53 and at least one pin 54 depending from the lower end edge, indicated at 56, of the member 52. In order to affect the aforementioned interlock of the cap member 16 and sleeve member 30, the upper portion, indicatedat 57, of the sleeve member is preferably provided with a recess for receiving a portion of the key, and the cap member 16 is also provided with a recess for receiving another portion of the key 50. The recess in the sleeve member 30 preferably comprises at least one and preferably a pair of diametrically spaced, axially extending grooves 58 in the inner surface 43 of the upper portion 57 of the sleeve member 30 for receiving the ends 53 of the key 50. The recess in the cap member 16 preferably comprises an eccentric, axially extended bore 59 in the disk 36 for receiving the pin 54.

It will be understood that while the recess in the sleeve member 30 is preferably in the form of a pair of diametrically spaced, axially extending grooves 58, such recess could take other forms as, for example, one of the grooves 58, or a slot in the upper portion 57 of the sleeve member through which the ends 53 of the key 50 extend.

It will also be understood that the recess in the disk 36 for receiving the pin 54 could comprise a plurality of bores, instead of the single bore 59, or could comprise a single, opening in the disk 36, concentric therewith, and having a configuration such as to prevent relative rotation between the key 50 and disk 36 when the former is engaged with the latter.

As will be apparent from FIG. 2, the grooves 58 preferably extend from the upper end edge, indicated at 62, of the sleeve member 30 to a point substantially midway of the length of the sleeve member, and have an axial length equal to or greater than the distance between the upper surface ofthe bead 26 and the undersurface 34 of the disk 36. Such length permits relative axial movement between the cap member 16 and sleeve member 30 while the key 50 is engaged with the members.

Thus, when the cap 10 is mounted on the upper end 12 thereon in sealing relation with the mouth of the bottle, the cap may bereadily disengaged from the upper end 12 of the bottle merely by engaging the key 50 with the cap and sleeve members 16 and 30 and applying counter- Engagement or disengagement of the key 50 from the members 16 and 30 is easily effected by aligning the ends 53 of the key with the grooves 58, and then shifting the key 50 into the sleeve member 30 until the underside 56 of the key engages the upper surface of the disk 36. When so engaged, the pin 54 seats in the bore 59. The key 50 may be removed from its engaged position with the cap member 16 and sleeve member 30 merely by shifting it upwardly in the grooves 58. Upon removal of the key 50, the sleeve member 30 is again relatively rotatable with respect to the cap member 16 so that the cap cannot be removed from the bottle.

In FIG. 4, the safety bottle cap 10 is shown mounted on a bottle having a greater number of threads on its upper end than the bottle illustrated in FIG. 2. Thus, the upper end, indicated at 62, of the bottle illustrated in FIG. 4 has, for example, approximately three threads, indicated at .63, above a bead 64. The inside diameter of the lower or skirt portion 44 of the sleeve member 30 is greater than the diameter of the bead 64 so that the skirt portion 44 overlaps and conceals the threads 63 and bead 64 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4. The foregoing relationship is achieved not only from the internal dimensions of the skirt portion 44 with respect to the bead 64, but also as a result of the relative axial movement between the cap member 16 and sleeve member 30, as previously described. The limits of downward and upward movement of the sleeve member 30 relative to the cap member 16 is illustrated by the full and dotted line positions, respectively, of the sleeve member 30.

In FIG. 5 the parts of the cap 10 are illustrated in the positions they would occupywhen the cap is mounted on a bottle having a somewhat greater number of threads, indicated at 73, then are provided on the bottle illustrated in FIG. 4. In addition, the bottle illustrated in FIG. 5 has a bead 74 of somewhat greater diameter than the inside diameter of the skirt portion 44 of the sleeve member 30. Since the diameter of the bead 74 is greater than the inside diameter of the skirt portion 44, the lower end edge, indicated at 75, of the skirt portion rests on the upper edge of the bead 74. The sleeve member 30 is thus carried in a slightly higher position, relative to the cap member 16, than it occupies when the cap is mounted on the bottle tops shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. However, the threads 73 are concealed and protected by the skirt portion 44, as previously described. The elevated position of the sleeve member 30 with respect to the cap member 16 results from the provision for relative axial movement between the cap member 16 and sleeve member 30. If the cap 10 were mounted on the top of a bottle having a lesser number of threads than the bottle top illustrated in FIG. 5, but having a bead of the same diameter as the bead 74, the sleeve member 30 would be carried in a still higher position relative to the cap member 16.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, another safety bottle cap 80 embodying the features of the present invention is illustrated. The cap 80 includes structure in common with the cap 10 and therefore like reference numerals have been used to identify identical parts.

The cap 80 thus comprises an inner cap member 16 having an end wall 17 and annular threaded side wall 18. A seal member 21 is mounted on the underside of the end wall 17 for engaging and sealing the open end or mouth 12 of a bottle on which the cap is mounted. The side wall 18 likewise includes at least a portion of and preferably at least three quarters of one thread 23, and the lower end edge of the sidewall 18 is provided with an annular radially outwardly extending portion or bead 26, as previously described. A disk 36 is likewise secured to the upper surface of the end wall 17, as by spot welding 37 (FIG. 7), and an eccentrically positioned recess in the form of a bore 59 is provided in the disk 36.

The cap 80 also includes a tubular or sleeve member 90 enclosing the cap member 16 and having an inside diameter at least equal to and preferably somewhat greater 6 than the outside diameter of the head 15 on the bottle neck 13. The outer peripheral surface, indicated at 32, of the sleeve member 90 may be roughened or otherwise rendered easier to grasp, by providing a plurality of shallow, axially spaced, circumferential grooves 33 therein.

The cap 80 also includes connecting means in the form of a pair of axially spaced, radially extending shoulders on the cap 16 and a rib 42 on the sleeve 90. The shoulders are defined by the bead 26 around the lower end edge of the annular side wall 18 of the cap 16 and the undersurface 34 of the disk 36. The shoulders and rib could, instead, be provided on the sleeve member 90 and cap member 16, respectively, if desired.

In order to eifect threaded engagement or disengagement of the cap 80 from the upper end 12 of a bottle, locking means engageable with the cap and sleeve members is provided. Such locking means comprises a key 100 in the form of an elongated, horizontally arranged bar or plate-like member 102 having a pair of laterally spaced ends 103. The member 102 includes at least one and preferably a pair of depending lugs 104 at the respective ends 103. The lugs 104 are. moveable into a recess in the form of a pair of diametrically spaced, radially extending slots 106 in the annular surface of the upper end, indicated at 107, of the sleeve member 90. The depending lugs 104 are provided on the key member 102 because the upper end 107 of the sleeve member 90 is substantially flush with the upper surface of the disk 36 when the rib 42 is resting on the bead 26.

The member 102 also includes a depending pin 54 movable into the bore 59 in the disk 36. When the lower surface, indicated at 108, of the key member 102 is engaged with the upper surface of the disk 36, the pin 54 and lugs 104 are fully engaged in the bore 59 and slots 106, respectively.

Thus, when the cap 80 is mounted on the upper end 12 of a bottle with the cap member 16 fully threaded thereon and in sealing relation with the mouth of the bottle, the cap may be readily disengaged from the upper end 12 of the bottle merely by engaging the key 100 with the cap and sleeve members 16 and 90, respectively, and applying counterclockwise torque, as viewed in FIG. 7, either to sleeve member 90 or key 100. Such torque is transmitted through the key 100 to the cap member 16 so that the latter, and hence the cap 10 unscrews from the top 12 of the bottle.

Engagement or disengagement of the key 100 from the members 16 and 90 is easily effected by aligning the depending lugs 104 of the key 100 with the slots 106, and then shifting the key 100 toward the disk 36 until the lugs 104 are disposed in the slots 106 and the pin 54 is positioned in the bore 59. Upon removal of the key 100, the sleeve member 90 is free to rotate relative to the cap member 16 so that the cap 80 cannot be removed from the bottle.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the safety bottle caps 10 and of the present invention are each capable of preventing unauthorized opening or access to the contents of a bottle on which each is mounted unless a special key is engaged with the cap. Because the inner cap member 16 of each embodiment has a minimum number of threads, as, for example, three quarters of one thread, the cap may be used with a variety of bottles having different numbers of threads on the tops thereof. Moreover, because the sleeve members 30 and of the caps 10 and 80 have depending skirt portions of substantial length, the threads and usual bead at the top of a bottle on which each cap is mounted are usually concealed by the skirt. Consequently, a neat appearance is presented and a highly desirable sanitary advantage is obtained.

In the preceding description of the caps 10 and 80, the term recess has been used to identify the grooves 58 in the inner surface of the side wall of a sleeve mem- )er 30, the. slots 106 and the annular surface of the upper :nd 107 of the sleeve member 90 and the bore 59 in the lisk 36. Thus, it will be understood that the term recess, 15 broadly used herein, is intended to cover either a groove, slot, or bore, or a plurality of these.

While only two embodiments of the invention have men herein illustrated and described, it will be under- ;tood thatmodifications and variations thereof may be :ffected without departing from the cope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety bottle cap adapted for use with a bottle iaving a threaded neck terminating in an open mouth, said cap comprising a cap member having an end wall and tn annular side wall, said end wall being adapted to engage and close the mouth of said bottle and said annular side wall being adapted to be threaded onto said neck, 1 sleeve member enclosing said cap member and having ipper and lower ends, connecting means interconnecting I said cap and sleeve members and accommodating relative rotational movement therebetween, and locking means engageable with said cap and sleeve members for locking said members against relative rotational movement, said locking means thereby permitting threaded engagement 3r disengagement of said cap from the neck of said bottle when said locking means is engaged with said members, and said connecting means positioning said sleeve member so that at least the lower end thereof substantially covers the lower thread on the neck of said bottle when said cap member is fully threaded onto said neck.

2. The safety bottle cap of claim 1, further characterized in that said sleeve member has an annular surface at the upper end thereof and an inner cylindrical surface, one of said surfaces having a recess therein, and said locking means comprises a key having a portion movable into said recess and another portion engageable with said cap member.

3. The safety bottle cap of claim 2, further characterized in that said recess is provided in said inner cylindrical surface of said sleeve member.

4. The safety bottle cap of claim 3, further characterized in that said recess comprises at least one axially extending groove in said inner cylindrical surface.

'5. The safety bottle cap of claim 4, further characterized in that a pair of axially extending grooves are provided in the inner cylindrical surface of said sleeve member and extending into the upper end thereof, and said key has a pair of laterally spaced ends movable into and out of said grooves through the open upper ends thereof. i

6. The safety bottle cap of claim 2, further characterized in that said recess is provided in said annular surface at the upper end of said sleeve member.

7. The safety bottle cap of claim 6, further characterized in that said recess comprises at least one radially extending slot in said annular surface.

8. The safety bottle cap of claim 7, further characterized in that said key has a pair of laterally spaced ends, and said portion comprises a depending lug at one of said ends movable into said slot. I

9. The safety bottle cap of claim 8, further characterized in that said recess comprises a pair of diametrically spaced, radially extending slots in said annular surface, and a depending lug is provided at each laterally spaced end of said key, said lugs being movable into said slots.

10. The safety bottle cap of claim 2, further characterized in that said end wall of saidcap member has a recess, and-said other portion of said key comprises pin movable into the recess in the end wall of said cap member.

11. The safety bottle cap of claim 10, further characterized in that said recess in said cap member is eccentrically positioned therein.

12. The safety bottle cap of claim 1, further characterized in that said connecting means comprises means defining a pair of axially spaced, radially extending shoulders on one of said members and an oppositely radially extending rib on the other of said members and disposed between said shoulders.

13. The safety bottle cap of claim 12, further characterized in that said shoulders are provided on said cap member and said rib is provided on said sleeve member.

14. The safety bottle cap of claim 13, further characterized in that the lower end of the-side wall of said cap member has on annular bead therearound and providing one said shoulders, and a disk is secured to the end wall of said cap member, said disk having a diameter greater than the diameter of the side wall of said cap member and 'providing the other of said shoulders.

15. The safety bottle cap of claim 12, further characterized in that said shoulders areaxially spaced apart a'substantially greater distance than the axial width of said rib, whereby said sleeve member is also movable axially relative to said cap member, said relative axial movement permitting said sleeve to move upwardly relative to said cap member when said cap is mounted on a bottle having a bead of greater outside diameter than the inside diameter of said sleeve member at the lower end thereof.

16. The safety bottle cap of claim 1, further characterized in that the side wall of said cap member is provided References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1962 Cohn 215-9 2/ 1969 Y Rouse .2159

GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examiner 

